A little different
by Cheese Wizzard
Summary: Magic AU. In a land of humans, magicians, elves, orcs, monsters, and… dragons? Where dark lords reign supreme and there are hundreds of races fighting and cooperating, there are thousands of adventures to be had! Inspired by a tumblr post, D. Gray Man characters are here to challenge the normal archetypes of their races and heritage. No pairings. Plot? Kind of. Very slow updates.
1. Chapter 1: Lavi the Bookman

Magic AU. In a land of humans, magicians, elves, orcs, monsters, and… dragons!? Where dark lords reign supreme and there are hundreds of races fighting and cooperating, there are thousands of adventures to be had! Inspired by a tumblr post, D. Gray Man characters are here to challenge the normal archetypes of their races and heritage.

—

Lavi the Bookman.

—

A swirling storm tears through a crashing ocean. The small wooden boat rocks wildly as it's thrown through the water.

Surprisingly, an excited laugh resonates through the whirling air.

"H-Hey! Be careful!" An anxious looking man watches as a figure stands at the edge of the boat, laughing at the hurling rain.

"This is awesome!" Lavi the Bookman grins at the captain, even as sharp raindrops bounce off of his skin.

Lavi holds out a long, wooden staff, a few inches taller than him, and points it at the water. The end of the staff is thicker and in a square shape, resembling a long staffed hammer. Wax seals are tied to the wood, all different colours and bareing different symbols.

The ocean stills under Lavi's staff, creating a circle that grows to encompass the boat completely.

"What is this?" The captain moves to the opposite edge, marvelling as the boat stops rocking. Even the sky above has left a break in the clouds as the wind diverts away from them.

"Seal!" Lavi cries out as his staff glows a bright blue.

A single drop of water rises, hovering a few inches beyond the staff.

A blast of wind and a frosty mist collect to the droplet as it grows in size. Lavi watches intently as the orb glows brightly, morphing into a flat circular shape.

As the new seal solidifies, a blue symbol is imprinted as it ties itself to Lavi's staff.

"Yes!" Lavi cheers as the glow fade and the storm returns.

—

It takes a few more hours for the storm to die down, and by that point the boat had already reached it's destination.  
The port town bustles with life as the sun shines high in the sky.

Lavi graciously thanks and pats the captain before heading across the docks.

Retying a green bandana around his wet hair, Lavi stares out across the shining blue sea. The sky is almost completely clear, only a few bright white clouds speckled across the sky.

While the town sparkles along with the sea, a bright shine glistening over the small buildings, there's an underlying sense of danger.

People talk in hushed whispers as they quickly head to their destination, taking no time to observe their surroundings.

Street vendors look at Lavi with suspicion as he walks across the open docks, an oversized staff in hand as well as strips of slightly damp paper curled over his arms and tucked into every pocket.

—

Eventually, Lavi makes his way into the town itself, consisting only of small, hut-like houses and a few wooden stands.

A smoking fire pit sits in the middle of the square, surrounded by logs and benches, being watched over by a few townspeople.

Every time Lavi tries to approach someone, they sky away instantly, mumbling excuses as they walk away.  
But, as Lavi approaches the fire pit, a larger man starts to approach him.

"Excuse me, sir." The man is wearing common clothes, a pale shirt under dark brown vest the same colour as his trousers. Fading hair covers his head and chin, which he's already rubbing anxiously.

"Yeah?" Lavi smiles politely at the man. "What can I help 'ya with?"  
"Are you… someone who _can_ help us?" The man looks hopeful.  
"Depends on what you need help with." Lavi grins. "I'm a Bookman magician, so if it's anything in my area of expertise, then I can lend a hand."  
"Thank you." The man sighs with relief. "We have a….magical problem on our hands."

—

"A necromancer?" Lavi raises an eyebrow. "I didn't think they were still around."  
"Well, we think there's one living in the forest." The man, who's actually the town's mayor, explains to Lavi. "Ever since he moved in, animals have been dying mysteriously and we've been plagued by bad luck."  
"Hm…" Lavi looks thoughtful. "That does sound like dark magic."  
"Then, can you help us?" The mayor says. "We have a cash reward prepared-"  
"I'll do it."

—

Lavi looks curiously at the crude map that the mayor had given him. It showed the entire forest and a spot marked with a large, red 'X'. Unfortunatley, the 'X' was almost as large as the town itself.

There's no way Lavi can find it with this…

Lavi absentmindedly walks into a clearing, causing him to look up.

A black house sits in front of him. Disturbing things are littered around the house, including empty and coloured vials, skulls, other bones, and decaying papers.

A small candle sits in the window, it's odd red light spraying over the windowsill.

Lavi cautiously approaches, his staff at the ready. As he reaches the door, leave feels something brush up against his leg.

"Hey!" Lavi jumps, pointing this staff at the culprit.

A fat cat stares up at Lavi, it's ginger and white fur impeccably clean.  
"Weird." Lavi lets out a sigh as he crouches down to the cat. As he reaches his hand out, he spots something strange hanging around the cat's neck. A small piece of paper is tucked in a tiny vial, emitting a strange green glow.

"What's that?" Lavi pats the cat's head as the watches the paper radiate it's odd light.

The cat pulls closer to Lavi, causing the magician to grin.

Only, his face falters at the sight of the cat's back. Lavi can see the end of its ribs and its working organs. Veins of blood pulse and pump, suspended in the same green light. Inexplicably solid, the light swirls and spins over where the cat's skin and fur would be.

Lavi gulps at the cat's glowing green eyes and pulls his hand away.

—

The cat quickly disappears into the house, leaving a glowing trail behind it.

Lavi pauses, wondering if he really should break in to the home. But he quickly remembers a certain cash reward and Lavi slams the door open, quickly heading inside


	2. Chapter 2: Allen the Underwalker

ALLEN THE UNDERWALKER

* * *

Lavi quickly realises that the house is just as creepy on the inside. Black walls, red candles and an unnecessary accumulation of skulls decorate the single room.

Lavi slowly moves forward, spotting the glowing green cat sitting on an armchair.

"Hey there." Lavi grins nervously. "You live here?"

After exploring the room, Lavi concludes that the necromancer isn't here, but it won't be that way for long.  
Unfortunately, it's then that a loud creak signals the door opening, meaning someone else has arrived.

"Shit." Lavi swears, looking around desperately for a hiding place as the door opens fully.

A cloaked figure steps into the house, surprisingly short and holding a shorter, steel wand. The metal is about the length of the figure's arm and is tipped with a shining green crystal.

The figure moves closer to Lavi, the black cloak swirling behind them.

"Uh…" Lavi smiles weakly at the figure, shuffling backwards.  
"Who're you?" The voice speaks as the glowing wand is pointed at Lavi's chest.  
"I-" Lavi starts before being interrupted by the cat. The feline skips forward, grabbing onto the figure's legs. A tail wraps around their ankle and the cat pushes up against them.

"Hey!" The figure reaches down to the cat. "Jasper, stop that!"

"Jasper?" Lavi grins slightly.

"Come _on._ " As the figure picks up Jasper, their black hood falls back, revealing their face.

—

Allen doesn't know what to think of the intruder. He definitely isn't from town and is probably a traveller. The long staff suggests that he's a magician or specialist. Along with the charms and thin scars over his fingers, he's likely not just a tourist.

Allen tries not to scowl as his oversized hood falls off, it's not his fault there weren't any smaller sizes. Readjusting his grip on the glowing Jasper, Allen turns back to the magician.

"So? Who are you?" Allen looks at the older teen distrustfully.

"Um…" The teen grins sheepishly. "Call me Lavi."  
"So, 'Lavi," Allen drops Jasper, pushing the cat away from himself. "What exactly are you doing here?"  
"Funny story, actually." Lavi starts.  
"I doubt it." Allen crosses his arms, slipping his wand into his cloak pocket.

"Well, apparently there's been some trouble in town." Lavi casually explains. "And the mayor thinks you're the culprit."  
"…What kind of trouble?" Allen wonders. "I try not to go near there."

"Animals dying or disappearing, freak weather, weird diseases-"

"I don't _think_ that was me." Allen says.  
"What _do_ you do then?" Lavi asks. "You're place isn't exactly normal, if you don't mind me saying."  
"Meh." Allen shrugs. "I need them for my spells."  
"What kind of spells?" Lavi eyes Jasper curiously.  
"Oh, well… Jasper had a bad fall a few months ago." " Allen heads over to the cat. "I found him in the forest, but he'd already died." Picking up the cat, Allen holds them out to Lavi. "So, I fixed him and kept him around."

"You brought him back to life." Lavi pats the cat's head. "So you _are_ a necromancer."  
"I never said I wasn't." Allen counters. "But I haven't been hurting the town. I probably couldn't even if I wanted too."

"Why's that?" Lavi takes a seat in the armchair.  
"Well…" Allen drops Jasper in Lavi's lap. "I'm still learning. I never had proper magic training."

"You did _this_ by yourself?" Lavi gestures to Jasper.  
"Uh, yeah." Allen nods with a smile. "By the way, you're rather relaxed."  
"Is there a reason I shouldn't be?" Lavi smiles back. "You seem calm enough and I'm plenty capable of defending myself."  
"You're a magician right?" Allen points to Lavi's staff. "What do you do?"  
"I'm a Bookman." Lavi clarifies. "A seal and written magic specialist."  
"That's pretty useful." Allen muses before finishing with a grin. "Maybe it would be easier not to learn a _dead magic_."

—

Lavi tries not to laugh at the pun as Allen shoos Jasper away.  
"So, you're trying to figure this stuff out by yourself?" Lavi asks curiously.  
"Yeah, why?" Allen nods, taking a seat on a smaller chair opposite.

"Gramps always says that learning magic from scratch, without a teacher, could lead to 'unwanted repercussions'." Lavi recounts.

"…What does that mean?" Allen asks curiously.

"It means…you might have been accidentally messing with the town." Lavi explains. "Have you ever tried a spell, but nothing happens?"  
"All the time." Allen sighs.  
"Then, it's probably hitting the town instead." Lavi concludes.  
"What am I supposed to do, then?" Allen retorts defensively. "It's not like I can just go somewhere else!"  
"Why not?" Lavi asks.  
"Because…" Allen shuffles uncomfortably. "I'm waiting for someone."  
"Who?" Lavi looks intrigued.  
"I can't believe I'm telling you my life story." Allen mumbles before answering. "I _used_ to have a kind-of teacher."  
"And you're waiting for him?" Lavi asks.

"He ran off about a year ago." Allen explains. "He said he'd be back soon, but, well, you know."  
"Yeah." Lavi shrugs. "My guess is he wasn't much of a teacher."  
"He was the _worst._ " Allen agrees. "But he was better than nothing."

—

"What now?" Lavi stares up at the ceiling.  
"If my magic's hurting the villagers, then it's probably best to stop." Allen sighs.  
"Or move away." Lavi adds.

"Or move away." Allen nods sadly. "But I don't have anywhere to go."

"You could try looking for your ex-teacher." Lavi suggests. "If you're that worried."  
"I'm _not_ worried." Allen counters. "Just annoyed."  
Lavi looks up thoughtfully before starting suddenly.  
"What?" Allen watches Lavi jump to his feet.  
"I've got it!" Lavi grins excitedly.  
"What?" Allen raises an eyebrow.  
"I have a solution to all your problems!" Lavi declares proudly.  
"All of them?" Allen doesn't sound convinced.  
"You're teacher problems. the village _and_ your magic." Lavi grins.  
"And what exactly is your wonderful solution?" Allen prompts.

"You can come with me!" Lavi waves his arms around.

"With you?"  
"Think about it!" Lavi says excitedly. "I basically a magic expert and I travel the world! You'll have better chance of finding this mysterious man if you actually try looking."  
" _You_ want to teach me magic?" Allen looks unconvinced.  
"I can help with basic spells." Lavi tries. "And we can go looking for some old necromancy books! It'll be better than nothing."

"…I guess you're right." Allen admits. "But, what about all my things?" He gestures around the room. "I can't exactly take everything."  
"Please, Al, have you ever heard of shrinking spells." Lavi smirks. "You could fit this entire house into your pocket."  
"Yes. I _have_ heard of shrinking spells, Mr Bookman." Allen says. "But I'm not exactly the greatest magician ever."  
"That's why you've got me." Lavi grins.  
"Also, Lavi?" Allen stands.  
"Yeah?" Lavi does the same.  
"Since when do you call me 'Al'?" Allen asks. "We just met."  
"And _now_ , we're partners." Lavi outstretches his hand to Allen. "Partner?"  
After a second of thought, Allen slowly takes Lavi's hand as he mutters. "I can't believe I'm doing this."

—

There's something weird about all this… It doesn't make sense, but I think I trust him.

* * *

 **Yeah, it's not great, but I'm fleshing out the idea still, so don't be mad.**

 **If you have any tips, please tell me! I'm still a little new at writing stories from scratch. If u haven't already noticed, most of mine follow the original storyline pretty well, or at least obey the laws of the universe…**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading!**

 **-Cheese Wizzard.** **  
**


	3. Chapter 3: Lenalee the Fēilóng

LENALEE THE FĒILÓNG

—

"Are you sure?" Allen stands nervously behind the tree line.  
"I'm sure." Lavi nods. "It's not like we can take him with us."  
Allen glances down at Jasper in his arms. "I guess so."  
"Then, let's go!" Lavi tries to pull Allen forward, only to be pushed back.  
"But what if they don't want him back!?" Allen demands. "Not everyone likes having a dead cat around!"

"I'm sure it'll be fine." Lavi reassures. "And we won't know until we try."

—

"T-Toby!?" An old woman cries out at the sign of the fat cat.  
"M-Mister magician!" The mayor appears out of nowhere. "T-The necromancer-"  
"Has moved out." Lavi reassures. "Permanently."  
"T-Thank you!" The mayor cries out in relief.  
"But what about Toby!?" The old woman stares at the green glow.  
"I assure you, your cat is fine." Lavi says. "See? This vial around his neck, it's keeping him alive."  
"W-What happened to him?" The woman asks as the cat jumps into her arms.  
"He had a nasty fall." Lavi glances towards the trees, where Allen's watching on anxiously. "And he's _perfectly fine_ now."

"Thank you so much." The woman bows slightly. "I'm so glad that Toby is alright."  
"And here's your reward." The mayor holds out a bag of gold. "For everything you've done."

—

"That's a lot of gold." Allen stares at the large bag.  
"Heh, they were really desperate." Lavi grins.  
"Hmph." Allen glares at the bag suddenly. "Thanks."  
"Uh…" Lavi shoves the bag away quickly. "Anyway, where do you want to head first?"  
"I have no idea." Allen admits with a grin. "I never made a plan to leave."  
"Then…" Lavi smirks. "I have an idea."

—

"Wow." Allen stares up at the enormous town.  
"Impressive, isn't it?" Lavi grins proudly. "This is my home, when I'm not out and about."

The town, more like a city, stretches over a small mountain, built into its crevices and spires. The impressive stonework runs up cliffs and over the web of streams and rivers running through and under the streets. All the buildings are bathed in multi-coloured light from the hundreds of stained-glass windows reflecting off of each other. The paleness of the buildings themselves almost blinding Allen as he tries to take it all in.

"C'mon." Lavi starts forward, down the dirt path. "It's still twenty minutes to the gates."

—

The gates, unsurprisingly, are over twenty meters high, with impressive looking guards standing at the entrance.

"I've never seen a city this big." Allen admits.  
"I'm not surprised." Lavi replies. "As far as I know, Barkensaw is the largest in the known world, for every race."  
"There are other races here?" Allen asks incredulously.  
"Of course." Lavi grins. "I mean, those that can get along. It's not like its full of dragons and goblins."

—

"There's so many people…" Allen stares at the crowds of colourful people walking past.  
"You sound surprised." Lavi smirks.  
"Shut up." Allen mutters, pulling his hood further down over his face.

"We're almost there." Lavi tries, pointing down the large street.

"We're almost at the place you're not telling me about." Allen corrects.

"Almost." Lavi skips forward. "It's just down here."

—

"Oi, Komui." A scruffy looking man looks down on another as he lies face first on a desk.  
"Hm?" The second man, looks up drowsily, a small trail of drool dripping down his white robes.

"Lavi's outside." The first man says. "And he's brought a friend."  
"A friend?" Komui slowly sits up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.  
"He's rather excited about it."  
"I'll be down in a minute, thanks Reever."  
"Just get going already."

—

"Oh, I forgot to ask." Komui stops by Reever's desk on his way down.  
"What?" Reever looks up from his papers.

"Has Lenalee returned yet?"  
"Nah, she's still out."  
"…Damn."

—

"Looks fancy." Allen notes as he and Lavi stare up at the blackened cathedral.  
"It's great on the inside too." Lavi adds.  
"But why are we at a cathedral?" Allen wonders.  
"It's not a _real_ cathedral." Lavi explains. "It's being used as a magician's guild."  
"A _guild_?" Allen stares at Lavi. "You've taken me to a _magician_ _'_ _s guild_!?"  
"Why not?" Lavi shrugs. "There's high chance that there're necromancy books here."  
"B-But…" Allen looks conflicted. "I'm a _necromancer_. An _Underwalker_ to be exact. Have you forgotten what that means?"

—

"Hello!" The cathedral doors fly open at Komui's touch, revealing Lavi and a hooded figure.

"Komui!" Lavi grins and waves.  
"It's nice to see you back again." Komui steps forward before looking a the figure beside Lavi. "And this is…?"  
"Oh, Komui, this is Allen." Lavi introduces.  
"…Hi." Allen raises his hand in greeting.  
"Ah, Allen, don't be so worried." Lavi flicks at Allen's oversized hood, knocking it off his face.  
"Lavi!" Allen protests, slapping Lavi's arm.  
"Um…" Komui tries, awkwardly interrupting the two. "How about you come inside?"

—

"So, Allen, was it?" Komui sits on a bench across from Allen and Lavi.

"Yes, I'm Allen Walker." Allen nods.

"I'm assuming you're a magician." Komui glances towards Lavi.  
"Yup." Lavi confirms.

"And what is it that you specialise in?" Komui finishes, looking back at Allen.  
"Oh…" Allen looks nervously at Lavi.  
"He's a…" Lavi leans in close, next to Komui's ear. "A _necromancer._ "  
"A…" Komui stares at Allen. "…I see."  
"We were hoping you might have something to help." Lavi adds. "He's still an amateur."  
"Why is it that you've chosen to be…what you are?" Komui asks.

"I was born with it." Allen shrugs. "I've always had the ability but I was hoping to actually do something with it."  
"Then…I think we can help." Komui smiles. "But, I have just just one question: what style of…necromancy do you use?"  
"…I'm an Underwalker." Allen all but whispers.  
"An Underwalker?" Komui looks confused and he looks over to Lavi curiously.  
"Underwalker, a form of necromancy involving direct connections to spirits and physical travel to the underworld." Lavi recites monotonously. "One of the most dangerous but is the most powerful form of dark magic found naturally in magicians at birth."

—

"…If there's anything, it's in here." Komui gestures proudly to the ridiculously high bookshelves coating the walls. Floating candles hover and fly through the maze of shelves. Colourful books of all sizes shine and glow in the light while bronze tipped scrolls hang on every bare space.  
"…And I'm guessing you're a fan of this place." Allen turns to Lavi, who's grinning widely.  
"How'd you guess?"

—

"…As great as the first impression was, this place is the worst." Allen collapses on a stray couch, staring up at the towering bookshelves.  
"Aw, I'm sure we'll find _something._ " Lavi calls down from a teetering ladder as he scans the book titles.

"How many books are even in here?" Allen wonders.  
"…Few million? I have no idea."  
"Great."

"Lavi!"  
A call from the entrance, causes the older magician to start.  
"What!?" Lavi slides down the ladder, hitting the ground with a loud thud.

"You're meant to tell me when you return, junior."  
Allen stares at a _very_ old man. As he starts reprimanding Lavi, his few strands of hair bob about wildly. His loose robes mimic Lavi's with the paper scrolls and such tied into his clothes. Long and thin needles are stuck into his sleeves, weaved expertly into the fabric, Allen doesn't question how much they'd hurt.

"Allen!" Lavi calls the necromancer over.  
"Yeah?" Allen nervously heads over, aware of the fuming older man.  
"This is Gramps- uh, my teacher: Bookman." Lavi introduces, gesturing lazily to the man.  
"Uh, it's nice to meet you." Allen sticks his hand out, which Bookman quickly shakes.  
"You're Allen Walker, then?" Bookman stares at Allen analytically.

"That's right." Allen nods, watching Lavi out of the corner of his eye.  
"If you're looking for necromancy books, they're on the right-hand side." Bookman points down one of the isles of shelves. "By the other dark magics."

—

"Shit." Lavi swears quietly.  
"What?" Allen looks away from the almost completely black shelves of dark magic texts.

"I needed to tell Gramps something." Lavi grabs his staff from it's place against a bookshelf. "Think you can survive a few minutes without me?"  
"Sure." Allen nods.  
"They're serving lunch in a minute." Lavi adds. "Just head to the entrance hall."  
"Oh, alright." Allen watches Lavi go, weaving past the shelves and leaving Allen alone in the library.

—

"Hm…" Allen grabs a rather thick volume titled ' _Necromancy of the Underworld: Ways of the Under Walkers_ _'_ _._

"This _must_ be it." Allen mutters, prying the book open.

Just as he starts the first page, a loud voice distracts him.

"She'll be back soon."  
"Stop freaking out!"  
"But-"

"Look, we've done this a million times before, just act casual and avoid her like the plague."

Allen creeps down the aisle, book tucked under his arm.

"This is nuts. She's crazy!"  
"Well, there's nothing we can do."  
"But she's a-"

" _Don_ _'_ _t_ say it."

"…Right, she'll know."  
"We're leaving tomorrow, so just deal with it for a few hours."  
"Where should I hide it?"  
"Somewhere she won't sense it…Keep it in your room for now."  
"Alright, alright."

Allen spots the two speakers, a man and woman both in red cloaks. Small, wooden wands sit in their hands, carved with various symbols and spells. The man holds a small, bright blue orb, it's surface swirling with water-like ripples.

"Just…keep away." The woman sighs. "Or we'll be busted."

—

Allen wanders into the entrance hall, ten minutes later than he'd hoped.

"Allen!" Komui appears beside him, smiling brightly.

"…Komui." Allen nods. "Lavi told be to come here."  
"Yes, you'll be looking for lunch." Komui says. "Just head through that door."  
Allen follows Komui's gaze to a large door, already half open, where a bright light flickers beyond, casting large shadows of people milling about.

—

"Where's Lavi?" Allen frowns when he doesn't spot the eccentric red head among the crowd.  
"He'll likely be here soon." Komui reassures. "Just take a seat somewhere."

—

"She's coming!" A man loudly whispers to his friend, barely in earshot from Allen's table.  
"Now!?" The other man looks startled.  
A wave of whispers course through the room as people nervously shuffle closer together.

Allen can't imagine what they're worried about, but it's probably the same person the people in the library were talking about…

The door fly open and the first thing Allen sees is a familiar head of red hair.  
Lavi grins happily at a girl, probably a year or so younger.  
Her green hair shimmers in the candlelight, matched by the metallic gleam of her mismatched armour. Metal plates cover her legs, shoulders and forearms, with smaller pieces scattered over a short, green and black dress. The most startling things about her, however are her eyes and skin. Dotted across her face and bare calves are tiny green scales, like a lizards or snake. They almost completely cover her ankles and seem to collect around her bright violet eyes.

"Shit." Allen recognises the woman from the library, who's quietly swearing a few meters away.

"Let's go." Another woman appears beside her, a few years older, and pulls the first away, matching the scowl on her face. They merge into the crowd of others receding, giving the girl as much space as possible.

—

"Allen!" Lavi waves to Allen as he and the girl come over.  
"Uh, hi." Allen looks over to the girl.  
"Allen, this is Lenalee Lee." Lavi introduces. "She's kind of a magician too."  
"Nice to meet you." Lenalee smiles brightly at Allen, catching him by surprise.  
"Nice to meet you too." Allen nods as she and Lavi take a seat.  
"Something up?" Lavi notices Allen's hesitation.  
"Everyone seems to be scared of you." Allen explains to Lenalee. "Sorry, I don't know what I expected."  
"Oh." Lenalee smiles. "It's a long story."

"Apart from the terror that is her protective brother…" Lavi starts. "They're probably scared of how tough you are, Lena-lady."  
"You think?" Lenalee looks thoughtful.

"By the way, what did you mean by 'kind of magician'?" Allen asks Lavi.  
"Well, Lenalee does use magic." Lavi explains. "So she's technically a magician, but she's way cooler."  
"Heh." Lenalee giggles. "Lavi…"  
Lavi leans over the table to whisper to Allen. "She's a fēilóng."  
"…Should I know what that is?" Allen stares at the two.  
"She's a dragon." Lavi grins. "A flying storm dragon, actually."  
"Half dragon." Lenalee corrects. "My mother was one."  
"That's…really cool." Allen smiles. "So, you can fly?"  
"Yup." Lenalee nods. "But, my brother doesn't like me doing it inside. I'd fly everywhere if I could."

"Your brother?" Allen asks.  
"Komui." Lavi explains.  
"So he's-"  
"No." Lenalee shakes her head. "I'm the only one who got it. Big Brother is a normal human, as far as we can tell."  
"Oh." Allen mutters.

"Anyway, I'm starving!" Lavi exclaims. "Where's the food!?"  
"You _just_ ate." Lenalee points out. "You were eating a sandwich outside just now."  
"That was just a snack." Lavi grins.  
"Well, Jerry doesn't look too busy." Lenalee looks over to the other side of the hall, where there's a small serving window.  
"Jerry?" Allen cranes his neck to take a look.  
"He's the chef." Lenalee explains. "Come one, I'll introduce you."

* * *

 **hey guys! Thakns for all the support so far! I'm loving writing this and even though i said i wouldn't be updating this week, I've pulled this thing together for you :3  
anyway, thanks to melovecats (Guest) for reviewing and pretty much spoiling this chappie. :p but its ok. I really liked ur ideas and i might've used them if i hadn't already figured this stuff out.  
Thanks again for reading!**

 **-Cheese Wizzard** (•̀o•́)ง


	4. Chapter 4: Part 1: Kanda the Magician?

**Meh. I had time when I should have been studying. So here's this, I guess. Yes, there's a second part which will be out soon. hopefully right after this one but I don't trust my internet that much.**

* * *

YUU THE MAGICIAN

—

"And then, we found this giant blue orb." Lavi gestures with his hands. "It was about the asme size as the first three, so I chucked it."  
"Lavi!" Lenalee scolds and Allen lets out a laugh. "It could've been important!"  
"Maybe." Lavi shrugs. "Actually, we needed it to get into the last room of the temple."  
"How'd you get in, then?" Allen asks.

"Heh, smashed it." Lavi grins. "It wasn't too hard."  
"You're way too reckless." Lenalee sighs.

"Yeah, Gramps got really angry." Lavi laughs. "But we still found the stolen gold."

"You're insane." Allen decides.  
"If you say so."

—

"Lenalee." Komui suddenly appears behind his sister. "You're still here?"  
"Why wouldn't I be?" Lenalee asks, confused.  
"It'd been dark out for an hour or so." Komui explains. "I thought you'd gone home."  
"Dark out?" Lenalee turns to the large windows behind her. "Oh no, it's so late!"  
"You'd better get going." Lavi grins.  
"Yeah, thank you Brother." Lenalee smiles at Komui. "Let's go."  
"See you tomorrow, Lavi, Allen." Komui waves as the siblings head out.

—

Kanda glares up at the dimly lit building, only a few traces of candlelight flicking though the glass windows and under the door.

Keeping one hand on the hilt of his sheathed sword, Kanda heads to the doors.

—

"We'll find you a proper place to stay tomorrow." Lavi says. "But Gramps won't mind you staying just one night."  
"Thank you, Lavi." Allen smiles gratefully.  
"It's the least I can do." Lavi grins back. "I promised to teach you, and I'll do just that-"

The doors creak open loudly, causing the two to look over.

A dark figure steps inside, dark eyes narrowed and angry.

"Uh…" Allen looks over to Lavi, who has a strangely happy expression.  
"Yuu!" Lavi cries out happily, skipping over to the dark teen.  
"Bastard-" 'Yuu' whips out a long sword, pointing it at Lavi's throat as he comes to a sudden halt.  
"Aw, that's not nice."  
"Go _die_." Kanda bites. "And don't call me that."  
"You need to be more friendly." Lavi sighs.  
"You need to lay off." Kanda retorts grumpily before spotting Allen. "Who the fuck are you?"  
"No one who wants to associate with a jerk like you, that's for sure." Allen mutters, just loud enough for both Lavi and Kanda to hear.  
"Yuu, this is Allen." Lavi hastily introduces. "Allen, Yuu Kanda, certified jerk."  
"Good to know." Allen scoffs, side-eyeing Kanda. "If I cared."

"Oof, Allen, you're killing me." Lavi grins, holding back snickers as Kanda fumes.  
"Just get on with it then." Kanda glares at him. "You're better off dead."

—

"Charming." Allen mutters as he and Lavi walk away from the guild.

"You get used to him." Lavi says. "I think you've already got that hang of it, though."

—

"You live here?" Allen stares up at the oddly twisted building. Complete with mismatched windows and roof tiles, the building is a shocking array of colours and patters. For some reason, it doesn't look as bad as it should.

"Yup!" Lavi heads to the door. "It's Gramp's and I have no idea where he got it from."

"It's…weirdly nice." Allen admits.

"Heh." Lavi starts toying with a complex-looking lock on the door, consisting of three keyholes and covered in weird gears and symbols. "Here."

—

The inside is much spacier than it should be. What would have been a nice living room is covered in scattered documents and various magical items.

"It's like a tornado blew through." Allen notes.  
"Well, there's no where else to put things." Lavi shrugs and gestures to a towering stack of very full boxes against the walls.

"Lavi? Is that you, you idiot?" Bookman appears at the top of a spiralling staircase, a large scroll in hand.  
"Hey Gramps!" Lavi cheerfully greets the old man. "Can Allen stay for the night?"  
"I don't care." Bookman huffs. "As long as I'm not disturbed."

—

"Here." Lavi opens the door of a small, relatively clean room, with only a few stray boxes in the corner. Only a few meters wide and long, the room seemed to go about three times that in height, stretching into a slightly ominous darkness above them.  
"Thanks a lot, Lavi." Allen thanks, dropping his small bag into the floor.  
"No problem." Lavi grins. "Oh, yeah, Gramps and I tend to get up early, if that's alright."  
"It's fine." Allen nods. "I'm usually up by dawn anyway."  
"Then, I'll think this'll be fine." Lavi retreats backwards. "See you in the morning."

—

Allen had no trouble sleeping. the bed was comfortable and the house kept relatively quiet, compared to Lavi and Bookman's usual personalities. The room smelt faintly of wax and old parchment, something that didn't surprise Allen in the least.

Once morning light started to stream in from a tiny window, Allen had already started to stir.

Faint footsteps sounded outside, along with the slight rustle of papers. Allen assumes it to be Bookman, being unable to imagine Lavi being that stealthy.

—

"Good morning!" Lavi slams Allen's door open excitedly.

"Morning." Allen, who was already awake and dressed, smiles up at Lavi.  
"Ready to head out?" Lavi asks. "They start serving breakfast at the guild in twenty minutes."

—

The guild is almost empty, with only a few magicians either shuffling around tiredly or passed out on the various benches.  
"Good morning!" Lenalee appears, seemingly out of nowhere, in front of the two.  
"Morning." Lavi greets. "You're getting better."

"Thanks." Lenalee smiles. "Brother said it'd be better not to use stealth magic around the guild though."  
"But you couldn't resist." Lavi laughs. "Fair enough."

"Oh, Kanda!" Lenalee spots the familiar figure trying to silently enter. He scowls as his name is called.  
"Yuu! Good morning!" Lavi happily greets. "You're early."  
"I'm always early." Kanda mutters, hesitantly heading over. "Don't be so surprised."

"Well, I'm starving." Lenalee says. "Breakfast anyone?"  
"Definitely." Allen grins.

—

"Won't you tell us about your grand adventures?" Lavi smirks at Kanda from across the table. "You've been gone far too long to not have any magnificent tales of glory."  
"As annoying as Lavi is being…" Lenalee says, half-heartedly poking her eggs. "I am wondering what you've been up to."

"I was training." Kanda mutters. " _Magic_ training."  
"Aaaaaaand?" Lavi presses. "Have you learnt something cool? Or no?"  
"Shut it." Kanda growls, pushing Lavi's face away.  
"I think it's good you're trying so hard, Kanda." Lenalee smiles. "Healing magic can be dangerous and very useful."  
"Healing-" Allen can't help but choke on his current mouthful.  
"Allen!" Lavi hits Allen's back as the younger teen coughs loudly.  
"Y-You're a healer!?" Allen looks up at Kanda disbelievingly. "Seriously?"  
"What's your problem?" Kanda bites.  
"I _know_ , it's so weird." Lavi smirks, taking a seat on Allen's other side. "He doesn't seem like the type."  
"I'm sorry it's not as dumb as whatever you do." Kanda growls. "What is it? Can you summon butterflies? Put on a fancy light show?"  
"I'll have you know-" Allen scowls at Kanda.  
"Al here's a necromancer!" Lavi happily inturrupts.  
"A necromancer?" Lenalee stares at Allen surprised, even Kanda looks a little disbelieving.  
"Oh, right. We didn't mention that." Lavi grins sheepishly. "It's why Al's here in the first place, to help him, since it's a _dead_ magic and all."  
"Hey, I've already made that joke!" Allen interjects. "Think of your own!"

—

 **aaaand there it is.**  
 **I knew exactly what Kanda would be when I started this story. You'll see him in action in part two, so don't freak out.**  
 **It seemed funny to me when I thought of it, so I hope u find it funny too.  
Anyway, thanks again for reading!  
if anyone spots any errors, please tell me. I wrote this in two hours at 11pm so don't hate.**

 **-Cheese Wizzard** ೕ(•̀ㅂ•́ )


	5. Chapter 4: Part 2: Kanda the Healer

KANDA THE HEALER

—

Kanda silently wonders if his glare is affecting these idiots anymore, or maybe they're just too dumb to react. Either way, Kanda is _pissed_.

"Aw, what's with the face?" Lavi steps _way_ too close to Kanda, with that ridiculous grin on his face.  
"Go die." Kanda growls, drawing Mugen and pressing it against Lavi's throat.

"Lenalee! Yuu's bullying me!" Lavi whines, turning to face the girl.  
"Technically you started it." Allen chimes in.  
"Al! You traitor!" Lavi cries, warily stepping away from Kanda.  
"You're ridiculous." Kanda mutters, gaze hardening as me regains his personal space.  
"Can you not fight for just one minute?" Lenalee demands, pushing Lavi aside. "Let's just go see what Brother wants."

—

"No _way._ " Kanda moves to leave as Komui calls after him.  
"Wait! Kanda!"  
Kanda turns to glare at the man. "I am _not-_ "  
"It's the only way." Komui says. "There's no one else who could go. I know you just got back-"  
"I'm _not_ going with _them_!" Kanda points at Allen and Lavi to Komui's right. "I refuse to spend any more time than I need to with those idiots."  
"Wow, rude." Lavi mutters.  
"It's only an hour away from here." Komui tries. "I'd usually send them alone, but I'm afraid Louis won't listen to them."  
"Why would I want to help them?" Kanda demands. "It's their own problem."

"It's part of the guild's arrangement." Komui explains. "All members are required to aid in the training of any… beginners."  
"Right." Kanda tries not to scoff.  
"I'd go myself, but I have…to much work." Komui sighs. "I _really_ wanted to go."  
"Why the hell is Fermi not staying in the city anyway?" Kanda mutters.  
"He doesn't like all the people." Komui dismisses. "So he's staying in a nearby village."  
"Whatever." Kanda sighs. "Fine. Just a few hours."

—

"Isn't this fun, Yuu?" Lavi chatters happily as the three head out of the guild.  
"I swear, I _will_ kill you." Kanda promises, hand already resting on his sword.  
"We haven't even left yet." Allen mutters as the doors close behind them.  
"And I'm already pumped!" Lavi grins, jumping into the air.  
"I can't believe I'm doing this." Kanda growls, speeding down the street.  
"Hey, wait up!" Lavi calls, hurrying after him.

—

"I thought you said the library would have everything." Allen mutters.  
"Well, it's not my fault someone borrowed the book." Lavi defends. "…And never gave it back."  
"He's an idiot." Kanda adds.  
"Who? Louis or Lavi?" Allen wonders.  
"Both of them." Kanda scowls.

The road they're taking is a small route out of the city. The ground is just a path of sandy pebbles, with small torches or signs every now and then. The buildings start to shrink as the trio approach the city limits. Eventually, trees and bright grasses appear on either side and a tough- looking guard stands at a puny gateway.  
"Yo!" Lavi happily greets the man.  
"Where are you heading?" The man doesn't look impressed.  
"Just to Watersmouth." Lavi replies with a smile.  
"Hmph. What's your purpose?"  
"We're meeting with a magician from our guild." Lavi smoothly replies. "He's not a fan of the city."  
"…Alright, get going."

—

Beyond the gate, the green continues, morphing into sprawling hills dotted with blooming trees and bushes. Kanda can't bear it.  
"Let's keep going." Kanda glares at the shining sun, already almost blinding him with it's glare.

"It's so nice out." Allen smiles.  
"It's almost spring too." Lavi adds. "It'll get better in a few weeks."  
"Ugh." Kanda glares at an annoyingly bright flower on the path.  
"I don't think Yuu's a fan of the lively outdoors." Lavi loudly whispers.  
"I don't think he's a fan of anything." Allen whispers back.

—

The path eventually becomes speckled with red stones and dark sand and trees pop up and bunch together on both sides.

"We're almost there." Lavi announces. "It's just a little further."  
"In the forest?" Allen stares up at the towering trees.  
"You'll see." Lavi grins. "Just wait until you see the river."

The river, helpfully identified as 'The Veridian' by Lavi, was quickly spotted among the bright green forest floor. The bright blue of the water seemed to sparkle under the greenish light.

Above the water, high in the trees, spraying bridges connect the branches, where houses and other buildings are built into the wood. People mill about, passing across or climbing the spiralling ladders connecting the levels.

"Wow."  
"It's great, huh?" Lavi grins. "Come on."

Lavi skips ahead, pulling Allen along. Jumping over a bridge of stones, the two head into the centre of the village.

Only a hand-full of buildings lay on the ground, forming a large circle. The buildings here loo less natural, formed with planks of wood and scattered branches of leaves.

"So…where's Fermi hanging out?" Lavi wonders, staring up at the buildings above.  
"He'll be at the top." Kanda mutters, heading forward. "Let's go." He points to a nearby tree, which is clearly the largest, with a narrow staircase curling around it's trunk and up into the canopy above.

"Cool!" Lavi grins. "Let's go!"

—

The three slowly head up the spiralling staircase, eventually breaking past the canopy and into the open air. A small building stands just above the trees, the entrance just a few meters from the end of the stairs.

"…Do we jump?" Allen looks warily at the gap in front of them.  
"I doubt it." Lavi looks around curiously.  
"This is stupid." Kanda grumbles.

"Hello!?" Lavi calls towards the building. "Uh, Fermi!? Are you there?"

An awkward silence sits for a few seconds as the trio stare at the door.

"…That's what I thought." Lavi sighs, rubbing the back of his head. "There's probably another way, though."  
"For fucks sake…" Kanda steps forward, to the edge of the stairs and glares at the door. "Open up old man!"

Kanda continues to glare as Lavi and Allen watch on curiously.

After another few seconds, a click sounds and the door swings open slowly.

"Ah, I thought it was you." An old man sticks his head out, keeping the rest of his body safely inside.  
"Let us in already." Kanda growls. "I'm sick of these fucking stairs."  
"…Yes, alright then." Fermi waves a hand and a small bridge appears between them. "Wipe your feet before you come in."

—

"Cool." Lavi looks around the surprisingly large space, the wooden walls decorated with hundreds of colourful, hanging tapestries. A plush carpet sits under the almost completely wooden furniture, excluding a glowing, metal lamp in the far corner.

"I'm honestly surprised that you're here." Fermi looks curiously at Kanda. "Though, it's very likely that Komui sent you."  
"…Yeah." Kanda mutters, glaring at the nearby wall.  
"Then?" Fermi looks at Lavi and Allen. "I assume you need something."

"Oh, right." Lavi nods. "Apparently you have a book that we need."  
"A book?" Fermi heads to a large cupboard. "You'll have to be a little more specific."  
"About Underwalkers." Lavi says, almost too casually.

"Under…" Fermi shakes his head. "Why on earth are you looking for something so _dangerous_?"  
"Dangerous?" Allen repeats, confused.  
"…No reason." Lavi says quickly. "Do you have it?"  
"Yes, yes." The old man opens the cupboard, rummaging through the contents.

"Dangerous?" Allen whispers so only Lavi can hear.  
"I'm not surprised." Lavi shrugs. "Especially with what you did to that town…"  
"Oh…" Allen looks sheepish. "That."

—

"Here." Fermi holds out a jet black book towards Lavi. "This is it."  
The book looks innocent enough, lacking any external markings like a title or author. Even the pages are a dark grey, just visible under the thick cover.

"Thanks." Lavi chirps, taking the volume.  
"You…" Fermi looks to have a sudden thought. "You wouldn't be trying to attempt anything in there?"  
"Of course not." Lavi smiles innocently, passing the book to Allen.  
"…Good." Fermi sighs. "Nothing good comes of that magic."

—

 **The next day.**

Allen stares lazily at the small book, slowly flipping the pages as it lies on the cafeteria table.  
"Any good?" Lavi wonders, leaning over the teen's shoulder.

"…It's weird." Allen mutters, turning towards Lavi. "It's _really_ pessimistic."  
"Pessimistic?" Lavi repeats. "How so?"  
"Here." Allen pushes it towards him. "Look at it."

"Hmm." Lavi picks the book up, scanning the text.  
"See?"  
"'Do not attempt' 'Extremely dangerous' 'Dangerous consequences' 'Forbidden in twelve kingdoms'? This is bad."  
"There's not much on _how_ to do anything." Allen grumbles.

"It's better than nothing though." Lavi reassures, dropping the book back onto the table.

"Yeah, I guess." Allen nods. "At least it's better than…"

"Your missing 'master'?" Lavi smiles.

"Yeah, he sucked."

* * *

 **hehehe yes its been a while. honestly, the first part of this chap has been sitting around since just after i published the last one soooooo... yeah. sorry. say if there's any typos or errors or it just makes 0 sense. Thanks again for reading. ;P  
**

 **\- Cheese Wizzard** ヾ(⌐■_■)ノ


	6. Chapter 5: Road and Tyki the White Mages

ROAD & TYKI THE WHITE MAGES

—

Road rushes down the corridor, light filtering through the quartz walls and stained glass windows. Her white and blue dress shines in the light, loose ribbons leaving a trail behind her.

"Tyki!" Road easily smashes the wooden door, sending large and small splinters into the room.  
"Road!" Tyki, who had been sprawled over his bed, cries out indignantly. "What!?"  
"I'm bored." Road sits her hands on her hips. "We're going out."  
"We are not." Tyki flops backwards.

"Yes. We. Are!" Road jumps towards him, covering an inhuman distance before landing on his bed next to him.  
"Can't you leave me alone for one day?" Tyki looks up at her.

"No." Road giggles. "Come _on_!"

"Fine!" Tyki sits back up. "But you _can't_ bother me for the rest of the day."  
"Fine." Road grins. "Now, let's go!"

—

The two make their way out of the quartz castle, Road pulling along a reluctant Tyki. Tyki had thrown on the closest robe he had, which meant he was in an almost matching outfit to the eccentric girl.

"Hurry!" Road tugs on his arm.  
"You have far too much energy." Tyki sighs. "Where are we even going?"  
"The market!" Road laughs. "Of _course_."  
"Of course."  
"There's a sale on sweets today." Road smiles. "And you're getting me _all of them_."  
"You know Sheryl would never let me. Besides, I didn't bring that much money." Tyki says.  
"Fine." Road pouts. "As many as we can."  
"Just don't be disappointed." Tyki says.  
"Well…" Road grins. "We don't have to _buy_ them."

"You should've asked the twins if you were planning this." Tyki sighs.  
"They always take all of them for themselves!" Road defends. "Besides, it's more fun with you."

"…Thanks?"

—

The shopkeeper didn't even see them coming. One second, everything was peaceful; A customer sat at a nearby table and another stood inspecting the various confectionary he had on display.

A split second later, both customers were gone. No, that's not right. Technically, some of them were still there. The smoking ashes that were his ex-customers sizzle slightly, leaving only a large orb of light where each of them had stood.  
"Good shot."  
The shopkeeper's eyes snap to the shop's entrance, where a young girl and man stand.

"Thank you." The girl smiles, her hands still letting off wisps of smoke.

"You missed one, though." Tyki points out.  
"I thought I'd let you have a go." Road giggles, grabbing onto Tyki's arm.  
"Hm, how strangely kind of you." Tyki says, looking up at the shaking shopkeeper. "It'll be easier if you let go of me, though."  
"Oh, right." Road laughs and jumps back. "Don't mind me."  
"Jeez…" Tyki shakes his head and walks over to the man slowly, seemingly uninterested. "I _was_ planning just to stay in today."

He rests on hand on the man's head, the latter still frozen in shock.

"You always stay in." Road grumbles. "You need to get out more."  
"If you say so." Tyki's hand pulses with a white light.

The shopkeeper can hear the blood roaring in his ears, sweat runs down his face unnaturally.  
He feels too _hot_.

"I do prefer staying out of the sun." Tyki continues. "I can't stand the heat."

And then, the man just… dissipated. His body dissolved into the air, falling into white dust, which disappeared as fast as it appeared. The last thing the shopkeeper saw was the disturbing pattern on Tyki's hand.

 _A butterfly?_

 _—_

"Yay!" Road stuffs a colourful patterned bag full of the various candies. She sweeps them cleanly off of the shelves, pausing only to sneak one of two into her mouth.

"There's almost enough here to last your week." Tyki muses, watching on with an expression akin to disgust. "I can't believe you get through so much so fast."

"How could I not!?" Road turns to him with a pout. "They're so yummy!"

"I can't believe you." Tyki shakes his head, which has started to ache. "Just get on with it so we can leave."

"Hmph. Fine."

—

 **Im sorry that it's so short, but there was a limit to how much I could put :3**

 **there'll be more about these two later on. probably.**

 **anyway, thanks for reading! I'm sorry that it's been a while, but I'll try not to take so long next time -.-**

 **Thanks again!  
-Cheese Wizzard ( ◞** **･** **౪** **･** **)**


	7. Chapter 6: Arystar KroryIII the Botanist

ARYSTAR KRORY III THE BOTANIST

—

"I'm bored!" Lavi collapses onto the wooden table.

"I know." Allen says. "You've said that a hundred times!"

"I _know_." Lavi pouts. "But it's still true!"

"Well, what do you usually do?" Allen looks up from his plate of food.

"I'm glad you asked!" Lavi perks up. "Usually, we get given quests! You know, killing dragons, finding treasure, saving the girl." He lifts his eyebrows suggestively.  
"Uh, okay." Allen nods. "So, why are we just sitting around?"  
"Because we need to be _given_ them." Lavi slumps back down. "And Komui's in charge of that."  
"Can't you just go and ask?" Allen wonders.  
"Nope." Lavi shakes his head. "He'll tell us if there's something we can do."

"So, nothing, then?" Allen sighs.  
"Nothing at all." Lavi sighs.

"Lavi! Allen!" Komui loudly appears, slamming his hands down on their table.

"Ah!" Allen drops his fork in surprise, causing it to clatter to the floor.  
"Yes!?" Lavi jumps up, suddenly full of energy.  
"Hevlaska wants to see you." Komui says, a glint in his eye. "Something about a quest?"

—

"Hevlaska!" Lavi slams through a large pair of black double doors, directly opposite the entrance.  
"Where is this?" Allen quietly follows after. "Where are we going?"  
"We're seeing Hevlaska!" Lavi happily explains. "We're finally getting some action!"

—

They finally reach a giant chamber, after climbing down a dozen flights of stairs. Inside sits a woman, completely obscured by swaths of white fabric covering everything but her mouth. A large golden goblet sits in front of her, filled with a black, bubbling mixture.

"Lavi." She smiles. "I'm glad to see you've returned."  
"Yo." Lavi grins.  
"And who's this?" She looks over at Allen.  
"Oh, this is Allen." Lavi gestures. "Newbie."  
"It's a pleasure." Hevlaska lowers her head slightly. "I've never met an Underwalker before."  
"Huh?" Allen looks at her in shock. "How'd you know that?"  
"Hevlaska's super cool." Lavi says. 'She's got the power to see into the future!"  
"Really?" Allen looks back at her.  
"Just glimpses." Hevlaska replies. "And, mostly, prophecies."  
"Prophecies?"  
"Are you ready?" She looks over at Lavi. "For your new quest?"

—

In that instant, everything disappeared but Hevlaska and the pale white glow hanging off of her. The goblet shakes for a second before toppling over, the contents spilling onto the ground, like liquid silver. As it settled, the surface turns to something akin to a mirror, but it doesn't show them, it shows…

A black castle looms above a thick forest. A full moon shines, tinted red, illuminating a figure on the frontmost balcony. Nearby, a village spawns a large riot. A mob of people with pitchforks and flaming torches approach the castle, disappearing into the forest. Seconds later, likely after a few passing minutes, the mob run back out, covered in bloody injuries and screaming for their lives.

—

"Cool!" Lavi breaks it, stunning Allen back into the dark chamber.

"Isn't it?" Hevlaska smiles, looking over at Allen. "I'm sorry for startling you."  
"Ah, it's fine." Allen shakes his head. "Just surprised me."

"Aren't you excited!?" Lavi turns on him. "We're going questing, baby!"

—

"You're weirdly excited about walking." Allen watches Lavi skip ahead.

"I know." Lavi grins. "But, I haven't had a proper quest in ages!"  
"Really?" Allen says. "You seem like you don't do much else."  
"I mean, I'm usually with Gramps." Lavi says.  
"Oh, right, him." Allen nods. "Why isn't he with us, then?"  
"Because it's _our_ quest!" Lavi smiles. "He's usually the one that gets them, so he bring me along. But, since Hevlaska gave it to _us_ , we an do it by ourselves!"  
"Ah, I get it." Allen nods again.

—

"Where exactly are we going?" Allen asks after a little more walking. The sun sits lower in the sky, threatening to disappear under the horizon.

"This way, obviously!" Lavi points directly ahead.  
"How do you know we're going the right way?"  
"I don't!" Lavi laughs. "Well, I kind of do."  
"That doesn't make sense." Allen stops walking.  
"Yeah, well…" Lavi stops too. "It's complicated."  
"Then explain."

"Quests are pretty ambitious when you get them." Lavi says. "But, they rarely give details, it's up to us to find them."  
"So we're just hoping to come across that castle?"  
"Don't worry." Lavi grins. "We definitely will. That's how it works. We'll find the castle, probably once the sun goes down, and see that mob get chased out of the forest."  
"We're so screwed." Allen mutters, but restarts walking regardless.  
"That's the spirit!"

—

"It's been three hours!" Allen groans.

"We can't just stop here!" Lavi gestures to the barren path.

"This is why we shouldn't have left _straight away_!" Allen glares up at Lavi. "We should have planned! Packed properly!"  
"Oh." Lavi stops. "I guess I was just excited…" He lets out a nervous laugh, looking sheepish.  
"This sucks." Allen drops to the ground, bringing his feet up to sit cross-legged. "I need a break."  
"…Okay." Lavi sighs and drops down next to him.

—

"Okay, are you ready now?" Lavi bounces on the balls of his feet.  
"Yeah, but I'm not happy about it." Allen pats the earth off his clothes.  
"Then, let us depart!" Lavi points ahead dramatically. "To adventure!"  
"You're stupid." Allen can't help but chuckle as they start to walk.  
"Why, thank you." Lavi grins.  
"Let's get out of here." Allen shakes his head.  
"Mm." Lavi looks upwards, where dark clouds have begun to emerge. "It'll probably rain soon."  
"Then, let's hurry." Allen grabs Lavi's arm and pulls him forward. "I am not getting drenched because of you."

—

"Ah ha!" Lavi cheers in triumph.

"What?" Allen cranes his neck, eyes searching the thick barrier of trees.  
"Lights!" Lavi points. "That means there's a town!"  
"Finally!" Allen grins. "Come on."

Allen and Lavi head forward, dodging the black stumps and bristling branches. The town eventually comes into view, the handful of cottages and buildings appearing overwhelmed by the dark forest.

"Cute." Lavi grins.  
"It's… really small." Allen says. "From the prophecy we saw-"

"Don't worry too much." Lavi says. "Prophecies are never completely accurate."  
"Great." Allen rolls his eyes. "How helpful."  
"Come on." Lavi smiles, continuing forward. "Let's see who's around."

—

 **Yeah, sorry this took a while, this one's** **harder** **to write than I thought :(  
But, I shall prevail!**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **-Cheese WIzzard** (✿´ ꒳ ` )


End file.
